Hydraulic actuating system for injection molding machine



April 23, 1957 E. GASPAR ETAL 2,789,541

HYDRAULIC ACTUATING SYSTEM FOR INJECTION MOULDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 1 IN VEN'IURS 15 men'c Gasp 6ard0n T 5 7 1,

11/422 70 M, Jmaa, r Maw A'ITORNEY5 April 23, 1957 E. GASPAR ET AL 2,789,541

HYDRAULIC ACTUATING SYSTEM FOR INJECTION MOULDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'INVENT R MJW 5;; WW; M/ *W #770 R NA Y5 United States Patent HYDRAULIC ACTUATING SYSTEM FOR INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE Emeric Gaspar and Gordon Tribe Stimpson, Battersea,

London, England, assignors to The Projectile & Engineering Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application January 25, 1954, Serial No. 405,898

Claims priority, application Great Britain January 26, 1953 5 Claims. Cl. 121- 38) This invention comprises improvements in or relating to injection moulding machines. The invention relates to injection moulding machines of the type in which a hydraulic ram is employed to force plastic material from a heating chamber through a nozzle into a die. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved form of control for the hydraulic pressure whereby the cycle of operations necessary to complete any particular moulding can readily be arranged for by pre-setting simple adjustments on the control.

According to the present invention in an injection moulding machine of the type described, in the hydraulic supply line to the injection cylinder there is located a relief valve so that when the pressure in the injection cylinder reaches a predetermined maximum the relief valve opens to the drain, an operative connection is provided to a time switch such that upon the relief valve opening the time switch is set in operation and the time switch is connected in circuit with means for modifying the supply pressure to the injection cylinder. In this way by varying the setting of the time switch the period at which the maximum injection pressure is held can be readily modified at will and by varying the setting of the means for modifying the injection pressure the subsequent rate of variation of the injection pressure can be adjusted. Thus, for example, upon injection taking place the pressure in the injection cylinderrises to a maximum when the mould is filled. The time switch ensures that this maximum is held for an adequate time to ensure an initial set of the material in the mould under pressure adequate to obviate the production of any voids and thereafter the pressure can be allowed to fall away at a predetermined rate to a predetermined minimum, at which it 'is held before it is cut oii and the mould opened. As the time interval at maximum pressure and the subsequent rate of fall of the pressure and the subsequent sustaining pressure are each required to be variable from one mould to another it is important to be able to adjust these three factors independently as above described.

The following is a description by way of example of one construction of control apparatus in accordance with the invention.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a diagram of hydraulic connections of the whole apparatus and Figure 2 is a detail of a valve for regulating the injection pressure.

The apparatus comprises two pumps 11, 12 for the supply of hydraulic pressure, both of which are motor driven. One, the pump 11, is the main pump with a large supply, and the other, pump 12, is a holding pump having a smaller output. The main pump' 11 is provided with an unloader 13, but the holding pump 12 has only relief valve 73. The two pumps are connected in' parallel to a main hydraulic supply line 14 which leads to a pilot-operated four-way valve 15 through a restricting valve 16 and non-return valve 17. The operation of valve 15 is controlled by push buttons -85 on the machine and pilot valve 74. From the pilot-operated other position of the valve the pressure supply is connected to the rod end 23 of the injection cylinder to return the ram. Between the pilot-operated valve and the injection cylinder there is located in a branch on the pipe line 19 to the head end of the injection cylinder a pressure regulating relief valve 24, one purpose of which is to open and allow hydraulic pressure fluid from the pipe line to drain away when the pressure reaches its maximum value. a' resistor 26 in it and between the valve and the resistor is a branch to a pressure switch 77. As soon.

as the relief valve 24 opens, the pressure rises in the drain between the valve and the resistor and operates the pressure switch to close an electrical circuit. The' electrical circuit is connected to a time switch'hereinafter referred to.

The relief valve is shown in Figure 2 and is constructed as follows:

The body of the valve has a passage 27 straight:

through it for the hydraulic fluid and this is crossed by a transverse bore 28, in which is located on one side of the through passage a relief-valve seating 29. The. transverse bore outside the seating is connected to the drain 25 and pressure switch 77. On the other side] of the through passage from the seating the transverse bore 28 is fitted with a piston 30 and the piston carries a rod which passes across the bore to a relief valvemember 31 bearing on the seating 29 and normally closing it. The piston is backed up by a return-spring 32 and a small diameter leak passage 33 extends through the piston into the space around the spring. The back trunk-like extension.

body. which bears on a seating 39 and the seating is connected by a narrow passage 4t) with the space (in the relief-- valve body) which contains the return spring 32. The needle-valve is urged on to its seating by a spring 41 and when the needle-valve opens it admits pressure fluid into the bore 37, in the cover and thence by a passage 42 into the space within the trunk-like extension 35 of the piston 30. From here there is a passage 43 through the centre of the piston and the relief-valve-member into the drain.

Operation of the relief valve as so far described is as follows: The pressure from the pipe line 19 which leads t the injection cylinder has access through the restricted passage 33 in the piston 30 and the passage 40 in the cover to the needle valve 38. As long as the needle valve remains shut the hydraulic pressure in the spring 1 chamber 28 behind the piston is equal to the hydraulic pressure in the pipe line and the relief valve 31 remains closed. When the hydraulic pressure reaches the point at which it forces the needle-valve 38 open against its spring 41, the hydraulic fluid in the chamber behindthe piston can escape past the needle-valve and through the passage 42 and passage 43 in the centre of the'piston I 3 0 to, the drain 25., The pressure behind .the piston 3411:.

therefore falls and as soon as it has fallen sufliciently Patented Apr. 23, 1957 The drain 25 from this valve has ed w veand s s en. s; the ne ervalve.dos s-again.

he ietwalve will close-J "In .I eeteb ablet mod y; he re tl .e thesp ine abe nd: hen e e-v ve a pr res iv .p su e rednee ay lve i p ided w ic .eo s e s-efi a ti 44v screwe Y elthe eQve T3 -o h r iefrv ve nl ew th an beh n the need-le -yalve. This fitting containsa cylinder 45, coxial-w th the need e-v -w e ise P e r -r n Pig-9n fie rt sa p un er wh e ex euds. ut'e the y iu e t w rds t e n e l -valve andsb a s' on ebe slende enee leve sp in 9 om th the eet the p s n. the aext ndl sap n red 48 h vseseu o t ezeyl nd r and; t rmi at s a s r w- *EQTPQIHQHAQ h: rri s wo s ep-nu sfim T e ent uts. a e-lo a ed e ene t eri-sideot v p-P ate.

wid hs. emu ate i s ppor e frems he eXterief. t

tt ng. 44011 a pa o pos y t ing the Pe i+ tion oi the stopsnuts the. length of stroke of the pressuredu iuap o .46. nd e p n a w ich estmke egins andL ends. can be adjusted,

Abranch pipe 56 is connected from the bore 27 of valve 24 (and therefore acts as a branch from pipe, 19) to a double solenoi d-op erated, valve 55 which controls the operation of the valve 24 and is operated by a time switch 7 6., .Whenthe operator presses the push button 75, to movethe pilot-operated :valve into the position where he. p mp. p e s e s o ne .f e n 1 ne.. t hu tioncylinder by pipe 19, system pressure is simultaneously applied via pipe 56 and the solenoid-operated valve to a Pipel ue en ee e w e, cy inder vo the p e u edne ueya ye eu a p ssage 5 (F gu e on t side of jthe piston 46 thereof which is nearerthe stops 50;j51.j I This movesthe piston in the latter to a position in which itfcompresses, as far asthe stop 51 will allow, the. spring 41 behind the needle-valve 38', and so secures maximum injection pressure.

"When in the course of injection, maxi mum pressure allowed by the stops'is reached, the relief-valve 31 opens to maintainsystem pressure at this level. At this instant pressure begins to build up in the drain line from this valve, and almost at'once closes the contacts of the pressure switch77, which ;in turn starts the time switch 76. The setting of this time switch determines the period during,which the maxi1n um injection pressure allowed by stop 51 is maintained. At the end of this period the time switch reverses the energigation andthus the position of the solenoid-operated valve 55." This changes the pressure supplydhrough valve 55 over to line 58, which is connected by passage 59 (Figure 2) to the other side of'the pressure-reducingpiston' 46-. At the same time the pressure on "the side of the piston 46 farthest away from the relief-valve is allowed to drain away at a predetermined rate through a restrietor 60 on a branch 61 from pipe 57. The valve-62 in pipe 57 is a non-return valve. Slow movement of the pressure-reducing piston in a direction away from the relief-valve results, and causes the spring 41 compressingthe needle-valve to be relaxed gradually which in turn progressively reduces the pressure setting of the relief-valve 31 and reducesthe pressure on ram 21 -When the pressure was first'applied to ram 21, this ram made itsstroke; injecting the moulding material into the die;--as soon as the die had been filled the pressure rose (to the maximum allowedby the stops as already referred to) and the-main pump --11 cut out by the operation of itsun' loader-13 in known manner,- leaving the smaller pump 12 tocontinue to supply hydraulic fluid to the pipe line. 7 The reliei-valve-M then-held the pressure'as already described sive pressure-reducing valve te-move away gradually from- I the needle valve Itwill thus be -unders-tood-that; as the pressure on the needle-valve spring 41 decreases the relief-valve opens enough to reduce the pressure in the head end 22 of the injection cylinder 20 gradually. When the piston of the pressure-reducingvalve reaches the limit of its movement set by the stop '50 the injection pressure ceases t ta l-tend is mainta ned; at s/pre su e f r. a y P nedtpetieds It will be seen that by altering the stop-nuts 50, 51 on.

the pressure-reducingvalve 24- the upper and lower limits of pressure in the cyclecan be odified. Byaltering the duration of operation of the time switch the time. at which maximum pressure is held can be modified, and by altering the restrictionrvalvet-fitlin thebranch 61-from-thepipe 57 o.thepre re reslueiu Yalve,.t e r t of fall of pressure can bemodified The valve 73 on the outlet of the pump 12 is a relief valve which opens inthei event of-the pressure rising unduly from any cause. It will be understood that the pipe line 14 is-connectedalsoitootherpartsofthepress which I require. to be operated and that-the controls forthese may a be interglinked withwthose: described forthe ram in any way; whichis vusual or is lconsidered desirable.

. We claim-:

1. In an injection. moulding machineof-the type having;

an hydraulic. cylinder and plunger to operate an injection 1uuger,:-the provision. of control means comprising in combiuationia hydraulicpressure sl pplm-a supply line to the hydraulic,cylinderaaforesaid, an electric time switch,q

a pressure switch connected to the. supply line so. that on the; pressuretherein-attaining a .predetermined. value the pressure;- switch, will operate;=electrical. connections therefrom to the time switch ,to .operate it, .a pressure. release valveconneqtediothe hydraulic supply line having pres: gulatingrmeans.to,regu1ate;therate of all of pressure said lin e an ;e1ec tro-magnetically operating valve to set-1h release; means. in. operation and an electri-. l .eenneet en, rern;-.. e timeswitch to. the said valve which sets the elease means in operation, so that thetimei w t h onea es. he same aft ra prerd termine imerval.

A i je ion. meu dinsmae ine. as. claimed in clainr 1 whereinthe said pressure-release;regulating meansforele se, V ve comprises a spring-pressed needle-valvend ea o re ula e. t e sp in -Pr s re thereon.

3. An injection moulding machine as claimed in claim 2 whe e nt e m enst r ul e sp grp r s m-,

prise a spring-operating piston, connected to the said needle v and fl d-pressu supp y r rdu s.u .se p ston omthe.s de e tre-m sn ti ally op ra e v v ere.-

. y n. application o pressure fl d. he-s d p sto r e s;

and reduces he et e tive pre s re of e sp An .inieet en. mouldi mac ne; s cla me i c m lwherein the said release valve comprisesin combination a valve body having a pipe connection to a chambenfor rpr essurevfluicl, a rel eftv v a in i i ehemb r a elief v l e membe the eie a. yl d -e n a niu r lief operating piston operatively connected to said reliefvalve memberf to actuateit, a restricted passage to the.

cylinder comprises a passage which extends throughsaid piston and relief valve.

References Cited in the file oi this patent UNlTED TA S. PA E T 2,192,7'28 Stacy Mar. 5,4940.- 2,527,943 Lees Oct.- 31-, 1950 2,617 ,3891 Munschauer- Nov.-11,'1952i 2,636,509 'Cizek Apr.-28, 1953 2,7 36,296: Rom-inc et=als up Feb. 28,1956 

